Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1876-03-06)

time was very short we proceeded to business with all speed & collected eggs until our eyes got used to the darkness so that we could see to shoot. In an hour and a half we had bagged 13 birds, 15 eggs and 3 nests. Then the sea began rising outside and we had to tumble into the boat and shove off. </s Be > Choosing our time the men pulled for their life. Half way out a huge wave met us that washed clean over the boat, and filled us half full of water. But we held on and got out safely.

    We could not induce those men to enter

that cave again, and I have since been told it is not entered with a boat more than once in two years. We visited 2 other caves for birds, but with indifferent success. Still I felt satisfied with what we got, and I beg to in- form you that those skins are good, for I made them all myself.

    We worked hard all day and half the

night while at the islands, and felt satisfied to leave in four days. We hunted & killed the two largest Iguanas ourselves and an old darkey brought us the rest at 25 to 30 cts each. We tried </u hard > to get some man-of-war birds and I am ready to pronounce them the hardest bird to get I ever hunted. We did not get a single one.

    We visited a cave on the island of Gaspere on

purpose to get stalactites and stalagmites for </s Ward > Messers Ward & Howell. We found to our disappointment that all the nice specimens had been broken off and carried away, but we got into a nook where no one had been before us, and were fortunate enough to secure three or four fine specimens. One a stalag- mite - is as perfect a pine-apple as I ever saw, almost, and if you will not take less I will give you $5 for one of the others that